Manipulative game

ABSTRACT

A game including a hollow housing in the shape of a chicken or hen having an outlet opening for a marble which represents an egg. An inclined ramp leads from the marble outlet opening. A detent is located in the inclined ramp to restrain movement of a marble past the detent on the ramp. A shield extends over the detent to restrict access to a marble retained by the detent. An opening extends through the shield to permit generally vertical access to a marble held by the detent. An electrically conductive ring encircles the opening. A circular magnet is mounted on the underside of the electrically conductive ring generally coaxial therewith. A metal probe having an insulated handle is provided with an insulated electric wire connecting the metal probe to a battery power supply. A direct current miniature motor and the electrically conductive ring are provided in an electrical circuit with the battery power supply and probe so that the engagement of the metal probe with the electrically conductive ring completes the circuit and actuates the direct current electric motor. A shuttle driven by the electric motor through a gearing arrangement actuates wings pivotally attached to the hollow housing on opposite sides thereof to create noises and a visual effect indicating that the player failed to remove an egg without disturbing the chicken.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to a battery-operated game which challengesboth the skill and dexterity of the players in comparing their abilityto remove marbles representing eggs from an inclined ramp extending fromthe front of a replica of a chicken using a metal probe to dislodge amarble, representing an egg, one at a time from a detent in the inclinedramp without "disturbing the chicken."

"Disturbing the chicken" means to cause the chicken to rapidly flap itswings which provides both a visual and an audible signal to the otherplayers that the player has failed in his attempt to skillfully removean egg. The marble, representing an egg, which is sought to be pluckedfrom the chicken's care, is detained on an inclined ramp projecting fromthe front of the chicken. To make the removal of the egg more difficult,a shield, also projecting from the front of the chicken, is positionedover the restrained egg allowing access to the marble by the probe onlythrough an opening formed in the shield. To remove an egg from thedetent on the inclined ramp, the probe must be extended through theopening and the end of the probe used to pry the egg over the detent onthe ramp. A metal ring is positioned surrounding the opening. The metalring is part of an electrical circuit, which includes batteries and anelectrical motor located in the hen and the metal probe which isconnected to the circuit by a wire. If during the attempt to dislodgethe egg using the probe a player contacts the metal ring, the electricalcircuit is closed and the electrical motor is actuated. Actuation of themotor causes the wings of the chicken to flap, thereby creating thevisual and audible signals indicating that the player has beenunsuccessful in removing an egg without disturbing the chicken. Thedifficulty of removing an egg from its detained position under theshield is enhanced by the use of a circular magnet positioned coaxiallyunder the metal ring and around the opening. The magnet draws the metalprobe toward the metal ring to complete the circuit. If the player moveshis probe too close to the magnet during his manipulation, it will bepulled to the metal ring and the chicken will be disturbed. If the"chicken is disturbed" at any time during the player's attempt to removean egg or to remove the probe after removing one or more eggs, theplayer loses that turn and the egg is returned to the chicken.

The chicken is designed to hold a minimum of six eggs and each player isgiven a plastic tray with six depressions formed therein so that thefirst player to successfully recover six eggs wins the game. Any numberof eggs are poured into the chicken through an opening and rolled downthe inclined ramp to where they are stopped by the retaining wall whichlocates at least one of the eggs under the opening in the shield.

Other objects and purposes of the invention will be found in thefollowing specification, drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in thefollowing drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, partial side elevational view of the game of FIG.1 with some parts broken away and others shown in cross-section forclarity of illustration; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 of the drawings shows a hollow housing 11 formed in the replicaof a chicken or hen. The housing has a flat bottom 13 on which it rests.A projection 15 resembling the head of a chicken and a rear projection17 form to resemble a tail. For convenience of manufacture, the hollowhousing is made into two half shells 19 and 21 split vertically down themiddle of the housing. The two shell halves are joined together in anyconventional manner to form the hollow housing 11. Marbles 23 are usedto represent eggs stored in the chicken.

A marble 23 outlet opening 25 is formed in the two shell halves 19 and21 at the front of the housing and an inclined ramp 27 extends out ofthis opening. The outer end of the inclined ramp is widened into a tray29 which is capable of holding at least several marbles 23. The tray hasan outer peripheral wall 31 to retain the marbles on the tray. An innersemi-circular wall extends around the marble outlet opening 25 of thechicken to restrain the marbles at a position about half way down theinclined ramp. A shield 37 formed integrally with the sections of thehollow housing 11 extends over the inclined ramp 27 and is located abovethe inclined ramp sufficiently high so as not to interfere with themovement of the marbles on the inclined ramp. The shield is actuallymade in two sections; one extending from each of the shell halves 19 and21. An opening 39 is formed vertically through the shield and alignsgenerally with the inner semi-circular peripheral wall 33 on the tray29. Supported on the shield and located coaxially to each other and theopening 39 are an upper steel ring 41 and a lower circular magnet 43.The ring has an inner opening 45 of smaller diameter than the inneropening 47 of the magnet.

A battery box 51 sized to hold two AA batteries 49 is located in theflat bottom 13 of the hollow housing with a snap-in door opening 53provided in the flat bottom 13 of the housing for access to the batterybox. Mounted on top of the battery box inside the hollow housing is avertically extending partition 55 extending between the shell halves 19and 21 of the hollow housing. The miniature electric motor 57 is mountedin a socket 59 formed integrally in the partition. A pinion gear 61connected to the output shaft 63 of the electric motor meshes with agear 65 which has its shaft journaled in a socket 67, also formedintegrally with the vertical partition 55. A post 69 eccentricallymounted on the face of the gear 65 fits in a vertical slot 71 in ashuttle 73 mounted on the vertical partition 55 by means of a pair ofposts 75 which fit into longitudinally extending slots 77 formed in theshuttle. The shuttle has tips 79 at its opposite ends which extendthrough openings 81 in the shell halves 19 and 21 to engage wings 83which are pivotally mounted on the shell halves 19 and 21.

An electrical circuit is provided to connect the batteries 49,electrical motor 57 and steel ring 41 to a metal probe 87. The metalprobe has a plastic handle 89, and an insulated conductive wire 91connects the probe to the electrical circuit. When the probe rod 87contacts the steel ring 41, the electric circuit is closed and theelectric motor 57 is actuated to reciprocate the shuttle 73, therebyflapping the wings 83. Operation of the motor, shuttle and wings createsnot only a visual notification that the circuit is closed but also anaudible one. The circular magnet 43 not only makes it more difficult forthe player to insert the probe through the opening 39 in the shield byattracting the probe to the steel ring 41, but also holds the probe incontact with the steel ring for a longer period of time once contact ismade so that the electric motor will be actuated a long enough period oftime to indicate to the players that a contact has been made. Once theprobe comes in contact with the magnet, it takes an additional amount ofwork for the player to remove it and interrupt the electrical circuit.

The marbles 23 are loaded into the hollow housing 11 through a marbleopening 93 located in a side wall of one of the shell halves 19 or 21.The marbles roll down the inclined ramp 27 through the marble outletopening 25 to the inner semi-circular wall 33 where they are retainedunder the opening 39 in the shield.

Each player is provided with a plastic tray 95 having six depressions 97formed therein. Eggs 23 which are safely removed from the chicken by theplayer are stored in the tray 95 during the course of a game.

I claim:
 1. A game including:a hollow housing having an outlet openingfor a marble, an inclined ramp leading from the marble outlet opening, adetent in the inclined ramp sufficient to restrain movement of a marblepast the detent on the ramp, a shield extending over the detent torestrict access to a marble retained by the detent, an opening extendingthrough the shield permitting generally vertical access to a marble heldby the detent, an electrically conductive ring encircling the opening, acircular magnet mounted on the electrically conductive ring generallycoaxial therewith, a metal probe having an insulated handle, aninsulated electric wire connecting the metal probe to a battery powersupply, a direct current miniature motor and the electrically conductivering so that engagement of the metal probe with the electricallyconductive ring completes a circuit and actuates the direct currentelectric motor, and means connected to the electric motor to indicatethat the circuit has been completed.
 2. The toy of claim 1 in which themeans connected to the electric motor to indicate that the circuit hasbeen completed includes a shuttle driven by the electric motor through agearing arrangement and wings pivotally attached to the housing onopposite sides thereof and engaged by the shuttle when it is moved byoperation of the electric motor.
 3. The toy of claim 1 in which anadditional opening is provided in the hollow housing to place marbles inthe housing where they are fed to the inclined ramp.